Author: Melissa F. Olson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published on: June 4, 2013 by 47North
As a null, Scarlett Bernard possesses a rare ability to counteract the supernatural by instantly neutralizing spells and magical forces. For years she has used her gift to scrub crime scenes of any magical traces, helping the powerful paranormal communities of Los Angeles stay hidden. But after LAPD detective Jesse Cruz discovered Scarlett’s secret, he made a bargain with her: solve a particularly grisly murder case, and he would stay silent about the city’s unearthly underworld.
Now two dead witches are found a few days before Christmas, and Scarlett is once again strong-armed into assisting the investigation. She soon finds a connection between the murders and her own former mentor, Olivia, a null who mysteriously turned into a vampire and who harbors her own sinister agenda. Now Scarlett must revisit her painful past to find Olivia—unless the blood-drenched present claims her life first.
After solving a pivotal case in the previous book, Scarlett Bernard’s place in the Old World is more secure. She’s a null, a human who negates all magic around them. Thanks to this power, Scarlett works as a crime scene cleaner for LA’s supernatural groups. Trail of Dead picks up after a hiatus of several weeks. Scarlett flew to New York to meet with another null and learn more about what their power can do. This would be a big help for future missions.
Scarlett barely puts one foot back in LA before Detective Jesse Cruz approaches her. He’s another main protagonist and a love interest for Scarlett. Jesse had been waiting for her arrival so he could ask about a new crime scene. At the moment, though, Scarlett and Jesse’s relationship is strained. They like each other, but issues keep holding them back. One of them is Jesse’s expressed dislike of Scarlett’s job. This is because she sometimes makes dead bodies disappear. When they have obvious signs of magical harm, Scarlett can’t allow the police to see them. Jesse is a righteous cop and won’t condone tampering with evidence in such a drastic and permanent way.
The crime scene Jesse found is not visibly supernatural but still eye-raising. Evidence was found in a college student’s bedroom that strongly suggests she was murdered. Scarlett’s apprentice, Eli, (one of the LA werewolves) is the one who found it. He was overseeing cleanups while Scarlett was away. When they meet at the local werewolf hangout, Eli gives Scarlett more details about the scene. There was a dead body all right, but its condition was horrible. Eli had no choice but to dispose of it. Kirsten, the leader of the LA witches, is also at the bar with Scarlett and Eli. She reveals she was the one who called in Eli’s services. The dead girl was one of Kirsten’s witches. Not only that, a second witch was also murdered in the same week.
Unlike in Dead Spots, Scarlett and co. know who the villain is from the start. She’s Olivia, a null and Scarlett’s former mentor. Olivia was supposed to have died from a terminal illness but has somehow become a vampire. She’s been plotting something since then. Scarlett has felt betrayed ever since she learned how she became Olivia’s apprentice. It wasn’t a coincidence as she thought at first. Olivia turns out to be more manipulative and insane than anyone thought.
The murders of the two witches start Jesse’s second Old World-related case. Scarlett persuades Kirsten to let him help (witches are extremely distrustful of the police). Jesse’s remained cool no matter how much new supernatural stuff he learns. He has some trouble with the secrecy, though. Jesse would never expose the Old World, but he finds it hard to be the only cop who knows what's really going on. Dashiell (the cardinal vampire of LA) is careful about which humans know about the Old World. The only other person at the police station who knows about it is Gloria. She’s a forensic technician in Dashiell’s pocket and is on friendly terms with Jesse.
Dashiell seems more benevolent in this book. In Dead Spots, he was willing (almost to the point of eagerness) to kill Scarlett for a crime she didn’t commit. This made Dashiell look like a ruthless tyrant, reminiscent of Aro of the Volturi. It turns out he wasn’t as callous as it seemed. Dashiell is just a vampire. Most of them aren’t strongly in touch with their (former) humanity. Dashiell is the kind of person who likes order and worries about what-they-might-say. He still cares about his people, though. Dashiell’s become warmer toward Jesse and Scarlett. The latter also knows a lot more about Dashiell’s past. It was surprising to learn how unusual a vampire Dashiell is.
Trail of Dead is another hit from Melissa F. Olson. I found it just as enjoyable as Dead Spots. Scarlett is a good protagonist, though a little cliché at times. She’s the kind of hero who’ll give herself up to the villain rather than let loved ones die for her. And although Scarlett is a reserved person, she has a lot of people to lose. There’s Jesse, Eli, Molly (her vampire roommate), even Kirsten and a few others. They’re all perfectly capable of defending themselves, but Scarlett barely cares. I didn’t think Scarlett was boring, though. She just isn’t as…assertive as Lex Luther (I read the Boundary Magic series before this one). Despite that, I really liked this book. I absolutely recommend it.
My rating: ★★★★ 1/2
4.5 stars - A fantastic page-turner!
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